The third horseman is described inRevelation 6:5-6, “...and there before me was a Black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!’” The third horseman of the Apocalypse refers to a great famine that will take place. First all get all notions that Zechariah 6: 1-8 description of the four chariots is the forerunner to the Four horsemen. It’s a similar skeleton but when we get to the meat and bones of details we are dealing with another creature. Of the four horsemen, the black horse and its rider are the only ones whose appearance is accompanied by a vocal pronunciation.

I was zooming in on the Black Horse because I thought it might represent St. Paul. I’ve previously discovered that the letters of James, Jude and 2 Peter were lampooning Paul as a foolish Horse, Donkey and mule for his undeserved cursing on them. All three used Psalm 32 and Proverbs 26 to sound off their attack on Paul.

Being a creative writer that I’am I speculated whether the Book of revelations was joining in on the fun too. I might be wrong on this but I just have a feel for a parody for Paul being the Black Horse with unbalanced scales being associated with a famine. My reasons for all the speculation.

According to Bible scholars parts of Revelations were written during the reigns of Nero and Vespasian and then updated during Domitian rule (81-96AD). Two famines happen. The first one in we know from papyri in Egypt in 45/46 and the second one in 92/93AD.

A. Paul/Saul is the only character in the New Testament that is associated with a small group of people that goes on a famine relief mission to buy grain see Acts 11:28.

B. Paul also has scales drop from his eyes in Acts 9:18-19 and after eating some food he regained his strength. After these scales drop from his eyes they apparently go into his hands.

C. In dealing with hardships like hunger, non-sleep, beatings, Paul is able to endure it by having a weapon of Christ. This weapon is described as his new law (righteousness) of love in his right and left hand ( 2 Corinthians 6:1-13). His love (Agape, philia, Eros) is unbalanced due to him mocking Moses veil, cursing his law, cursing the followers of James and having a hand in killing him in 62AD, after his fictional encounter with Jesus.

There is a sad ending with a White Horse associated with Justice (Domitian) in Rev 19 that comes down to kill the Black Horse Paul and a whole lotta others like flavius Clemens, flavius Josephus, Eparoditus . Paul was killed by sword before being half starved to death by an imposed famine on him. by a sword.. I don’t know if I proved my case or not but hoping to make case for a competitive plausibility.

In the Egyptian drama of the judgement scene we have a black Horse driving evil souls to hell as in Plato’s writings too.

The late Martin Bernal who wrote Black Athena Writes Back (p.262; 302), stated that the gold leaf scales may have come from an Egyptian word mh3t (balance)… and the tradition of weighing the souls of the dead.

THE Chariot Allegory of Plato, which appears in the Phaedrus, is a very important part of the Western — and World — spiritual and philosophical tradition. It presents a rich metaphor for the soul and its journey. Everyone with a soul should read it!

The soul is portrayed as a compound of three components: a charioteer (Reason), and two winged steeds: one white (spiritedness, the irascible element, boldness) and one black (the appetitive element, concupiscence, desire). The goal is to ascend to divine heights — but the black horse poses problems.

George G. M. James is vindicated for stating Plato stole the idea of the White/Black Horse from the Egyptians. E.A. Wallis Budge talking about the tortures of hell where there was gnahing of teeth (Matthew 8:12) states:

“When a little time afterwards my eyes were opened I saw death hovering about in the air in its manifold forms, and at that moment angels who were without pity came and dragged my wretched soul from my body, and having tied it under the form of a black horse they led me away to Amenti” (a place for sinners) see Egyptian Ideas of the afterlife By budge p. 113.